The Political Graveyard: Politicians Who Were Involved in Professional Sports in Pennsylvania

PoliticalGraveyard.com

Politicians Who Were Involved in Professional Sports in Pennsylvania
as players, owners, commissioners, sports journalists, etc.

Israel Wilson Durham (1855-1909) — also known as Israel W. Durham; "Old Man"; "Peerless Leader" — of Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa. Born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., October 24, 1855. Republican. Philadelphia police magistrate, 1885-95; delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1896, 1900, 1904, 1908; member of Pennsylvania state senate, 1897-98, 1909 (6th District 1897-98, 2nd District 1909); died in office 1909; Pennsylvania State Insurance Commissioner, 1900-05. President and principal owner of the Philadelphia Phillies professional baseball team, 1909. Died suddenly, from interstital nephritis, in Atlantic City, Atlantic County, N.J., June 28, 1909 (age 53 years, 247 days). Interment at Mt. Moriah Cemetery, West Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.

		Relatives: Son of Thomas Durham and Jane Elizabeth (Norris) Durham.
		See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial

Joseph Harvey Farris (1922-1997) — also known as Joe H. Farris — of Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va. Born in Charleston, Kanawha County, W.Va., April 14, 1922. Radio and television personality; sports announcer; member of West Virginia state house of delegates from Kanawha County, 1991-97; died in office 1997. Episcopalian. Lebanese ancestry. Member, Lions. Found dead in a hotel room probably from cardiac arrythmia, in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., August 10, 1997 (age 75 years, 118 days). Interment at Sunset Memorial Park, South Charleston, W.Va.

		Relatives: Married to Mary Lou Corey (sister-in-law of Mario J. Palumbo; aunt of Corey Palumbo).
		Political family: Palumbo-Corey family of Charleston, West Virginia.

Brian J. Rooney (b. 1972) — of Dexter, Washtenaw County, Mich. Born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., October 28, 1972. Republican. Served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Gulf War; lawyer; board member, Pittsburgh Steelers pro football team; director of communications and development for the Thomas More Law Center, a conservative public interest law firm; candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 7th District, 2010; deputy director, Michigan Department of Human Services. Irish ancestry. Still living as of 2014.

		Relatives: Son of Patrick J. Rooney; brother of Patrick J. Rooney Jr. and Thomas J. Rooney; nephew of Daniel Milton Rooney; grandson of Art Rooney.
		Political family: Rooney family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
		Image source: Michigan Department of Human Services

Daniel Milton Rooney (b. 1932) — also known as Dan Rooney — of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa. Born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa., July 20, 1932. Democrat. Lead owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers pro football team; U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, 2009-12. Irish ancestry. Still living as of 2014.

		Relatives: Son of Arthur Joseph 'Art' Rooney and Kathleen (McNulty) Rooney; uncle of Patrick J. Rooney Jr., Thomas J. Rooney and Brian J. Rooney.
		Political family: Rooney family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
		See also Wikipedia article
		Image source: U.S. State Department

Lynn Curtis Swann (b. 1952) — also known as Lynn Swann — of Sewickley Heights, Allegheny County, Pa. Born in Alcoa, Blount County, Tenn., March 7, 1952. Republican. Pro football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, 1974-82; member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame; candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania, 2006. African ancestry. Still living as of 2014.

John Kinley Tener (1863-1946) — also known as John K. Tener — of Charleroi, Washington County, Pa. Born in County Tyrone, Ireland (now Northern Ireland), July 25, 1863. Republican. U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 24th District, 1909-11; resigned 1911; Governor of Pennsylvania, 1911-15; defeated in primary, 1926. Member, Elks. Played professional baseball in 1885-90; pitcher for Chicago and Pittsburgh teams; president of National Baseball League. Died in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa., May 19, 1946 (age 82 years, 298 days). Interment at Homewood Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pa.

John J. Vaughan (born c.1908) — of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa. Born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa., about 1908. Republican. Played professional football with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the early 1930s; investigator; member of Pennsylvania state house of representatives, 1947-48, 1953-58 (Allegheny County 8th District 1947-48, 1953-54, Allegheny County 12th District 1955-58); defeated, 1960 (Allegheny County 12th District), 1964 (Allegheny County 1st District); alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1964, 1972. Catholic. Irish ancestry. Member, Elks; Moose; Eagles; Knights of Equity; American Legion; Amvets; Catholic War Veterans. Burial location unknown.

William Mills Wrigley Jr. (1861-1932) — also known as William Wrigley, Jr. — of Chicago, Cook County, Ill. Born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pa., September 30, 1861. Republican. Founder, Wrigley chewing gum company; owner, Chicago Cubs baseball team; owner, Arizona Biltmore Hotel, Phoenix, Ariz.; delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1916, 1920, 1924, 1928; candidate for Presidential Elector for Illinois. Owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Died, from a stroke, in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz., January 26, 1932 (age 70 years, 118 days). Originally entombed at Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens, Avalon, Calif.; re-entombed in mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Calif.

		Wrigley Field (opened 1914, named 1927), ballpark for the Chicago Cubs, in Chicago, Illinois, is named for him.
		See also Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial

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Henry L. Clinton, Apollo Hall, New York City, February 3, 1872

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